


Movie Night

by Sloane



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Humor, Human Michael, Mangled Timeline, Mostly talking, Multi, Pre-Canon, WHAT IF THEY KNEW EACH OTHER BEFORE
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:34:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23650930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sloane/pseuds/Sloane
Summary: Michael and Sasha are friends/coworkers who meet up outside of work for movie nights. This leads to revelations about Michael’s romantic interest and what Sasha gets up to in her spare time.
Relationships: Gerard Keay/Michael Shelley, Sasha James & Michael Shelley
Comments: 14
Kudos: 75





	Movie Night

**Author's Note:**

> Just something short and fluffy as a break from all the pain I’ve been writing. Plus I owe Sasha.

It started with a follow-up request about a statement, which led to Sasha saying the name reminded her of the star of that one old cult movie—you know the one. Michael didn’t, so that had to be rectified. Sasha insisted. 

Suddenly a relationship that only went as far as chatting whenever he had to pop over to Research at Gertrude’s behest turned to regular movie nights. The features were a mixed bag—good or bad, seen a dozen times or not, it was mostly just an excuse to get together outside of work.

“Hackers,” Sasha sighed fondly, taking a moment to admire the terrible box art. “Angelina Jolie was a revelation to baby bi Sasha.”

Michael gave her a knowing look. ”Any chance it awakened or inspired anything else?”

“Mr. Shelley, sir,” Sasha said, mock aghast. “Are you implying I’ve used screen names based on the 1995 movie, or perhaps scrounged up obsolete storage technology for the sole purpose of recreating a certain scene in front of a mirror?”

Michael arched an eyebrow.

Sasha laughed and hit him lightly with a pillow. “I’ll have you know I innovated by holding flash drives like knives, and it looked just as silly. Now, let us pray they never do a reboot. It’d be all dark web this, block chain that, and... actually, I take it back. That would be _hilarious_.”

Michael shook his head. “And a finger on the monkey’s paw curls inward.”

“Do you think they actually have one of those in Artifact Storage?”

“You know, I never asked.”

“Let’s not!”

Sasha pressed play.

* * *

Sometimes they weren’t able to get together again for weeks, but that gave them more to talk about when they did manage it. 

The selection that week was Dune, inspired by a conversation about how weird it would be if the series embedded itself in the cultural Zeitgeist as deeply as certain other series. Tim overhead them talking and enthusiastically added his own views on what fandom infighting would be like before reluctantly returning to his desk.

“The spice must flow!” Tim yelled down the hall in parting, prompting someone to yell shut up.

“See?” Tim called. “The book verses movie debate rages on!”

Michael noticed how Sasha blushed when she laughed.

He was surprised she didn’t invite Tim along that night, and said as much when they were next sitting on the couch together.

“I like that it’s just the two of us,” Sasha said. “I don’t want to mess that up. Anyway, Tim and I aren’t... I mean... that was just a one time thing.”

“Oh.” Michael’s eyes went wide as it clicked. “ _Oh!_ I didn’t know you already... sorry.”

They both glanced awkwardly around the room.

“What about you?” Sasha asked. “This doesn’t all have to be the romantic misadventures of Sasha James.” She nudged him. “Anyone catch your eye lately?”

Michael blushed deeply as he thought about it. “There _is_ someone...”

“Do tell!”

“You know that ‘outside specialist’ of Gertrude’s that comes in now and again? The rather terrifying goth?”

“With all the piercings and the bad dye job?” Sasha asked, not considering the man ‘terrifying’ herself.

“Er, yes...”

“You and Gerard Keay...” Sasha looked Michael up and down and nodded to herself. “I can see it. Light to his dark. Soft to his edge. So on to his so forth.”

Michael covered his face with both hands. “I can’t even talk to him!” He parted his fingers just enough to peer through them at Sasha. “Wait, _soft?_ ”

“Oh, c’mon, it’s a compliment!”

Michael dropped his hands into his lap. “Anyway, he barely even looks at me. I try to strike up conversations and just fall to pieces. There’s no telling when he’ll be back next, and I can’t very well ask after him to Gertrude.”

“Why not?”

“Because then she’ll know I’m interested and she’ll discourage it and... no.” Michael shook his head. “I’ll just have to wait—or hope I see him outside the Institute.”

“Seems like he’d be hard to miss.” Sasha grinned. “Though I also hear he travels quite a lot.”

“Oh no,” Michael groaned. “You’ve got that look.”

“What?”

“I don’t want to digitally stalk him, Sasha.”

“No, no, of course not,” Sasha agreed. “He’s very elusive, besides.”

“You mean you already tried?!”

“Only for my own personal edification!” Sasha protested. “To make sure he’s not a general threat to the Institute!”

“You do it just to see what you can find, don’t you?”

Sasha just smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> And in the end the greater implications made me sadder. I played myself hard here.


End file.
